"What would be left of us and these competitors without these games." - Some romantic guy somewhere on a Sunday
UFC 266: VOLKANOVSKI VS. ORTEGA
Somehow, a fight not even headlining is what most draws me to this card, so let's start with Valentina against Lauren Murphy. I like Murphy, she's been around for a long time, an incredibly durable fighter. Alaskan made. I'm happy she is going to get this shot but I see Valentina stopping her before the third. War machine. Next, Volkanovski defends his title against rival UFC series coach, Brian Ortega. Everything coming out of Volk's camp and Volk's own mouth just reeks of rage and blood. Ortega is a solid brawler who can compete at the highest level, however, he's lacking that sort of champion energy that swarms around Volk. Volk stops him in the third or fourth. Saving the best for last, Nick Diaz makes his return to the octagon after 6 years. He hasn't won a contest in 10 years, people say. He's going to have ring rust, people say. I only listen to the latter and that's why I'm going with Lawler by unanimous decision. Nick lost to Condit, GSP, and had a NC against the Spider. Those are legends of the sport, so his record should be downplayed. Ring rust is real, however. I don't think it will have worn Nick down enough to get stopped, but he definitely won't compete at the level of Robbie. He's a Diaz, he's a fighter, he's going to end the bout on his feet.
NFL PICKS
Chargers at Chiefs: I don't think any Chiefs fans are hitting the panic button yet, but there's definitely cause for concern on multiple levels. Too many penalties, can't stop the run, can't get the run going. Chiefs win but I think it will be a shoot-out (expect this to be the case for the rest of the season).
Bears at Browns: The Browns know what they're about. At home, likely with typical Cleveland weather, they'll run the ball all day keeping Fields off the field. A rookie out of rhythm on his first NFL start. I think I'll go with Chubb Hub's team.
Colts at Titans: Derrick Henry is a force of nature the likes we have never seen. It's a bit frightening to think that there's a human being that can run that fast, carrying that much mass, with that amount of agility. It's like trying to tackle a Zebra. Did you know Zebras have NEVER been domesticated? Titans win in a close one.
Cardinals at Jaguars: Urban Meyer is looking to be yet another example of a CFB not being able to transition to the NFL. You attract more bees with honey or something like that. Cardinals roll the Jags.
WFT at Bills: Show-me-something game for the Bills and Josh Allen. He has not been accurate and the defense was not to blame for last week's loss [EDIT] WEEK 1 LOSS. What if Heinecke is the real deal, can you imagine? Bills win by a touchdown.
Saints at Patriots: Pats are 2-0 and at home, but the Saints are coming off a loss and Sean Payton simply finds ways to wins after those. This game means a lot to both teams for different reasons. I'm going to flip a coin and say that the Saints win due to a defensive effort.
Falcons at Giants: Another coin flip here but I'm going with the G-men just because I think this is Saquon's official return. Daniel Jones isn't bad either and there seems to be some passion coming from the locker room.
Bengals at Steelers: Big Ben is hurt. Didn't take long but I bet he plays. It would be awesome if Haskins played, threw some pick 6s, and then Ben came in at the beginning of the 3rd just to throw 35 passes from the shotgun in a comeback win. Steelers win narrowly.
Ravens at Lions: The Ravens can run on anyone, it's insane. I do think they should stop running Lamar up the middle, regardless of the production. It's just not smart. Ravens steamroll the poor Lions at home.
Jets at Broncos: Jets are averaging 10 points a game. Broncos by a lot.
Dolphins at Raiders: Sea mammals are averaging 8.5 points a game. Raiders by a lot.
Bucs at Rams: NFC Championship preview. This one is going to be a barn-burner. I can see this one hitting over 70 points. Donald is looking as disruptive as ever but I just think Tom will find a way to move the ball down the field. He's struggled against this team, I just think he's at demigod levels this year. I'm also excited to see what Stafford brings. I think he's relishing the opportunity to really duel Tom while being well supported with talent and coaching.
Seahawks at Vikings: Russell Wilson raises all boats. That offense looks scary. Kirk, on the other hand, has been throwing a lot. He's had to because of his defense and let me just say...I kinda like that. He's been alright. This is going to be a high-scoring game as well. Vikings somehow pull out the win.
Packers at 49ers: I don't think any team has worse luck with injuries on offense than the 49ers in the last 4 years. It's sad because they have great coaching. Still, I think they score a lot of points on this Packers defense which means that Mr. Rodgers will have to perform. There's a lot to be answered by him as far as we're all concerned. Just because he beat the Lions doesn't mean he's back. I think the marriage is the final nail in his competitive coffin. 49ers win by a tuddy.